TEMPE, Ariz. — As Shohei Ohtani continues to have difficulty with big league pitching, more questions about his status as a two-way player are sure to come the Angels’ way.

They aren’t ready for any of them yet.

On Thursday morning, Manager Mike Scioscia cut off a question upon hearing: “If he were to continue to struggle at the plate …”

“We’re not going to talk hypotheticals,” Scioscia said. “I think there are a lot of guys in our lineup that right now are struggling with timing. We’re going to work hard to get these guys their last 20-30 at-bats to be ready for the season.”

Ohtani is 2 for 20 in major league exhibition games, with another two hits in eight at-bats against Angels pitchers in an intrasquad game.

Obviously, it’s too small of a sample size to draw any conclusions. The quality of at-bats has further prompted questions about his ability to handle off-speed pitches and to hit left-handed pitchers.

Scioscia and hitting coach Eric Hinske said Ohtani is making progress and they remain confident he will be able to hit. He’s going to have to do so while also preparing to pitch.

On Thursday, the day before his scheduled start, Ohtani was not expected to do any kind of batting practice. He doesn’t hit on the day he pitches, or the day after.

As for his development as a pitcher, his Friday start against the Colorado Rockies will be significant because he’s faced mostly minor leaguers in his three previous games.

He might have only two more starts before the start of the regular season. Angels starters typically pitch in six exhibition games before the season, but Scioscia indicated on Thursday that Ohtani could count his two-inning simulated game as one outing. That means it’s possible Ohtani could pitch once more next week — likely Thursday or Friday — and then go straight into the season.

“There’s still a little work to do, but we’re already comfortable there’s enough pitches to start the season,” Scioscia said. “Hopefully we’ll get him ready in these next couple outings.”

Clean start

Blake Parker arrived in the clubhouse Thursday morning without his beard. Parker said he’d been contemplating getting rid of the beard already because it had been getting uncomfortable, but giving up five runs in his outing Wednesday sealed the deal.

Parker was looking for anything to get a fresh start in what has been a frustrating spring.

“It’s hard not to be results oriented, but you kind of have to be,” said Parker, who has allowed nine runs in 4 1/3 innings. “Body-wise, everything is good. I guess some minor tweaks, mechanically or release point-wise, obviously makes all the difference. That’s what’s frustrating.”

Scioscia also suggested Parker had been working to incorporate some new things into his repertoire, and that might be over soon.

“I think as we get closer to the season, I think you’ll see him really focus on what he does best,” Scioscia said.

Parker finished last season as the Angels closer and figures to start this year as one of the prime candidates for the job.

Also

JC Ramirez will pitch in a Triple-A game Friday. With Ohtani pitching on five or six days’ rest and the other starters on four, the Angels have two starters working each day that Ohtani pitches. …

Scioscia offered his thoughts following the death of Augie Garrido, who made a name for himself by winning three national titles at Cal State Fullerton on his way to becoming the winningest coach in college baseball history. “Augie was a fixture in baseball, not only in Southern California for all the years he coached here, but in Texas and across the country,” Scioscia said. “He was very well respected.”

Luis Valbuena, who traveled to Florida to take his test to gain U.S. citizenship, is expected back in camp and in the lineup Friday.

Jeff Fletcher has covered the Angels since 2013. Before that, he spent 11 years covering the Giants and A's and working as a national baseball writer. Jeff is a Hall of Fame voter. In 2015, he was elected chairman of the Los Angeles chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.